PM Modi to inaugurate India's first seaplane service on Oct 31; to be operated by Spicejet

PM Modi will inaugurate the first seaplane service for people in Gujarat on October 31, Shipping Ministry sources informed on Tuesday. Narendra Modi will take the first inaugural flight from Ahemdabad's Sabarmati Riverfront to the Statue of Unity in Kevadia Colony, Narmada district. As per the Defence wing, the seaplane is a Twin Otter 300 and will be registered and operated by Spicejet. 

3,377 kilograms Seaplane

As per the sources from Shipping Ministry, the Twin Otter seaplane weighs about 3,377 kilograms and has a fuel tank capacity of 1,419 litres. The length of the Twin Otter is 15.77 meters (51 feet) and the height is 5.94 meters (19 feet). The seaplane has a seating capacity of 19 passengers and can carry a maximum weight of 5,670 kilos. The Twin Otter from the Maldives arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday. The seaplane took off from Male, the capital of the Maldives, and arrived in Gujarat after landing at the Venduruthy channel for a technical halt.

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Twin Otter Seaplane

There is a major difference in the methods and capacities of takeoff and landing between a seaplane and an airplane. While airplanes use land for take-off and landing, the seaplane can take off and land on any water body including any large rivers, lakes and sea. Speaking about the Twin Otter seaplane, Captain Ajay Chauhan explained that the machine has twin engines like its name and consumes about 272 kg fuel per hour for flying. 

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"This machine (Seaplane) is having twin engines of PT61-32 type with a single-stage free turbine. The seaplane consumes 272 kg of fuel per hour of flying. The major technical difference between the airplane and seaplane is during their takeoff and landing operations; the former gets the assistance of a computerized control system, while the latter has a manual system for all the operations. Secondly, the seaplane flies at a very low height, compared to other commercial flights. Its takeoff and landing operations demand more skill from the pilot as its operations have to be carried out from a liquid (water) surface," said Captain Ajay Chauhan. 

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(With inputs from ANI)